5GoldGlovesOF,75

The post didn't suggest a Paxton to the A's trade for Sears, but a Paxton trade to a "contender" who'd offer a kind of package, -- like Sears and others -- similar to what the Yankees gave up for Montas a year ago.

I hope we do as well as that -- if we're on the other side of the deal. The desperate Yanks gave up what are now three big league pitchers (plus another minor leaguer) -- including JP Sears -- for Montas and Lou Trivino. That's the kind of package Bloom may be offered for Paxton -- and acquiring an under-30 starter like Sears for the rotation who's under control for the next five years may be too tempting to pass on... even if the Sox are still going for it.

Of course -- fans want to win now, today, especially the day they pay for tickets to see maybe their one game in person for the year. Bloom and Cora know their club is too lopsided with lefty sticks, and that a legitimate playoff run would be greatly enhanced with a consistent righty power threat behind Devers. And since Duvall is already here and paid for, it would naturally be ideal if he could regain that opening week stardom... if his wrist will let him regain his timing. Meanwhile, maybe Bloom is working OT trying to pry southpaw JP Sears from the Oakland Lost Paychecks before another wild card rival does...

Good points both, but we know good managers try to give their guys ample opportunities to bounce back, find their groove, figure things out, etc. They're usually looking at the long game, and know they need to see if players can improve or be trusted to help out later on, as well. The thing is, we'll never know how much input/influence/orders come from "the top." Franchy couldn't play outfield, but who specifically made him a first baseman? Who put Arroyo in RF? We know Bloom acquired Schwarber with no place to play him (even at DH), but who shoehorned him into first base... or did the CBO and skipper just look at each other, and shrug: "He can't be worse than Franchy..."

Nazzan Zanetello tells it like it is: "I'm a five-tool player and a five-tool person." Hit -- he'll be an instant hit with the fans Hit with power -- his powerful personality will make him a team leader Throw -- he'll throw away any negative press (or posts) Catch -- and catch himself, before he responds in negative ways Run -- with positive body language, he'll run through the farm system to Boston

Almost all shortstops or pitchers; draft fans rejoice! Early is especially intriguing -- a guy fans of pitch clocks will be rooting for. All those quick pitches gotta cause batters to be late... Nice work, Moon, pasting the reports. Thank you for your efforts.

Red Sox reportedly one of eight MLB teams with scouts in attendance watching recent start in Japan by ace pitcher Yamamoto, age 24. Yoshida's ex-teammate has pretty good stats this year -- even if the two-time MVP is doing it in a league some equate to Triple A: 1.66 ERA, 101 strikeouts and just 12 walks through 92.1 innings...

"add pitching, add a bat" (whispered a fan during the All-Star break)... ... some experts who take posts out of context actually offer alternatives; others just disparage others' opinions and reply with blasphemy. How dare anyone post something on their forum that they don't have to read.

Yes sir -- from now on, I'll follow the strict forum posting rules as only defined by the tips of your erudite fingertips.

No post even came close to suggesting such a swap. Mine said we needed to add a bat. Sorry for bringing up Soler. I'd say we need to add a bat similar to the deadline when we got Schwarber, but then someone would jump all over the fact that he's a lefty. We just may have enough southpaw sticks in '23.

Thank you for contributing to the discussions about the Red Sox.

Correct -- I've only been saying that the past four years.

Watch it! Don't you know we can't trade for actual needs until we're finally good (even while glaring holes in need of upgrade prevent us from being good enough to replace them)...

Who is they? Talksox has been talking roster changes, and some posters brought up DFAing their least favorites. My posts today are about not dumping guys like Duvall or Kike, since they're a few of the very few players on the roster with any RH power. I have nothing against Turner, and even called him a professional hitter, but it might help boost a team's chances to add a regular righty power bat to go along with 162-game average of 19 homers over his 15-year career. BTW, anyone who read my posts about JD Martinez the past few years knows how cooked I thought he looked in Boston, constantly flailing at sliders out of the zone. I'm glad for him that he has thrived with a change of scenery, because I'll always remember him the missing link in the line-up that drove the 2018 champs. Why keep bringing up Bogaerts? He's not having an All-Star year, but he'd still be third on the Sox in HRs. I wouldn't have paid him for 11 years, either. But is there any doubt with him at shortstop all season -- instead of Kike -- that Boston would be in third place and in command of a playoff spot right now?

The Sox have little right-handed power -- by design -- because "the roster is the roster" and was, going into the season. Bloom rolled the dice on Kike bouncing back (not free-falling), Duvall having an entire healthy season, and Story earning some of his overpaid salary. Turner the Pro Hitter and his plate coverage lends more to spray than slug. Boston of course needs to add at least one authentic starting pitcher, but the club could really use a Jorge Soler type, if Bloom would only part with another Aldo Ramirez. But forget about the actual Soler -- he's got another year on his contract, and Miami's got the second-most wins in the NL...

The best chance for the Red Sox to make a legitimate run this season would seem to be an acceptable recovery by Story; he doesn't have to be a star or play commensurate with his salary -- just enough to be a decent MLB starting infielder. Story at SS and Arroyo at 2B are probably the best DP combo, at least both have been semi-regulars at those positions... not just fill-ins. As for Duvall -- he is a rare righty power bat on the roster, even if off the bench. No one is replacing that, unless Story returns as the Bionic Man, or Aquaman gets so hot they have to keep him around. If they dump Kike, they can't dump Duvall... because there's no else even close to slamming 25 HRs from the right side, like Kike did only two years ago.

Good post -- convinced me. Still remember it took Varitek, a guy regarded as the greatest college catcher ever, a few years to land a full-time job in the majors. He was being platooned with Scott Hatteberg, a guy whose claim to fame was moving to first base -- in a movie!

Sox are in position to make a second-half run, but it's folly to expect they'll do it without pitching reinforcements beyond rehabbing injured guys. Buy. Here's a trade proposal accepted by BTV that will help now but maybe hurt later: Boston gets starter Jordan Montgomery and reliever Andre Pallante from St. Louis for Nick Yorke. Pallante is only 24 and possibly a future starter. Jordan Hicks, 26, actually has less trade value and is an alternative. We'll soon see how serious Bloom is about competing this year. After all, he can just sign Montgomery next winter without giving up a top prospect... as long as the lefty accepts a one-year contract of around $10 million.

In Kyle Teel, the Sox not only picked the top-rated catcher in the draft, "he instantly becomes the top catching prospect for the Boston Red Sox" according to NESN's draft reporter. Teel's overall athleticism has drawn comparisons to Buster Posey... and Craig Biggio -- oh. One college coach said he believes Teel could be an All-Star second baseman in the bigs. But all to those posters who weren't in the Red Sox conference room with all their scouts and farmers -- and yet are convinced every team always just picks the best player when it's their turn -- consider this: Teel was described as the top college catcher. Meanwhile, Boston's second pick at #50, Nazzan Zanetello, reportedly has "five-tool potential" ... and the Sox front office is already saying the high school shortstop will immediately get reps in centerfield at the start of his pro career.

Hey, I had them for 70 wins -- I'm already two-thirds of the way there!

The report with that label was from Manfred, who used the Astros GM, manager and bench coach as scapegoats so he wouldn't have to discipline any players -- because that would do the most damage in the public eye. Fans root for their favorite players, not management. Subsequent interviews with members of the Houston analytics dept. (some whom got promoted) by investigative reporters reveal that the video sign-stealing scheme was developed in advance of 2017. Lunhow, Hinch and Cora either knew about it or implemented it, and certainly had roles. But it was system-wide.

This is a good point... but also reminds me of a common quote about catching prospects -- with promise -- when scouting reports say, "a chance to stick at catcher." It's just another example of the best players growing up; yes, they all play shortstop... but that's only when they're not pitching or catching.

I was all-in absolutely with you ripping Bloom for losing Ward while protecting other flotsam and jetsam. The halfway stats show it's no big deal now -- but if Bloom had instead protected Ward, are there any non-relative Red Sox fans on the planet who could have envisioned the Washington Nationals using that precious first pick in the Rule V to jump on Ort?

You can believe whatever you want, but like Bellhorn posted, it is well-documented -- with admissions from employees -- that the Houston Astros analytics department masterminded the entire video sign-stealing scheme BEFORE they even hired Alex Cora as bench coach.

Who a team drafts just isn't an exact science, and never has been. When it's their turn, most clubs just pick the best player left on the board. Those evals could be based on universal MLB scouting data or from their own analytics, but most are pretty close. When a team drafts can be more attributable to the GM, based on such determinants as whether a club tanks or receives compensation from someone signing a free agent attached to a QO...